Electrode consumptionElectrode consumption in electric furnaceElectric furnace smeltingSmelting of non-ferrousNon-ferrous matteMatte and metalsMetals has now been reported for over a century, involving carbon prebakePrebake and self-baking Söderberg pasteSöderberg paste electrodes, and more recently including performance using graphiteGraphite electrodes. This non-ferrousNon-ferrous electric smeltingSmelting has encompassed: copperCopper, nickelNickel and nickelNickel-copperCopper platinumPlatinum group metalMetals electric furnaceElectric furnace sulfide matte smeltingMatte smelting; hot liquid overflow matteMatte settling and reductive slagSlag cleaning; historically some melting and smeltingSmelting of copperCopper and cobaltCobalt metalMetals (the latter by selective carbothermic reduction of solid cobaltCobalt-bearing slagsSlag); and nickel lateriteNickel laterite electric furnaceElectric furnace smeltingSmelting, to produce both crude and refinedFerronickel ferro-nickelNickel. Historical electrode consumptionElectrode consumption will be reviewed from the 1900s to present, to explore key trends in electrode developmentDevelopment and associated improvements in consumption. The different electrode types adopted in the electric smeltingSmelting and refining of each of the different non-ferrousNon-ferrous commodity types and associated impact on electrode consumptionElectrode consumption will be compared. Benchmarks of specific electrode consumptionElectrode consumption rates reported in kg/MWh (and kg/t) will be presented. These can help to guide increases in efficiencies and further improvement and lowering of electrode consumptionElectrode consumption, and associated CO2 emissions, in pursuit of still more sustainable non-ferrousNon-ferrous electric smeltingSmelting of copperCopper, nickelNickel and cobaltCobalt in future.