FORM 4 Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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(Print or Type Responses)

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * McHale David R   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol NORTHEAST UTILITIES [NU] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) _____ Director _____ 10% Owner __X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) Exec VP and CFO (Last) (First) (Middle) C/O NORTHEAST UTILITIES, 56 PROSPECT STREET 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 01/31/2012 (Street) HARTFORD, CT 06103 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year) 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line) _X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person ___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip) Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price Common Shares, $5.00 par value 02/16/2012   A   9,240 A $ 0 138,123 (1) D   Common Shares, $5.00 par value 02/16/2012   A   6,051 (2) A $ 0 144,174 (1) D   Common Shares, $5.00 par value               6,275 (3) I By 401(k) Plan Trustee

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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)

2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security

3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)

3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)

4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)

5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4, and 5)

6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)

7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities (Instr. 3 and 4)

8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)

9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)

10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)

11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)

Code

V

(A)

(D)

Date Exercisable

Expiration Date

Title

Amount or Number of Shares

Phantom Shares

(4)

01/31/2012

(4)

A

257

(4)

(4)

Common Shares, $5.00 par value

257

$ 0

546

D

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
McHale David R C/O NORTHEAST UTILITIES 56 PROSPECT STREET HARTFORD, CT 06103			Exec VP and CFO

Signatures

/s/David R. McHale		02/21/2012
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1)	Includes restricted share units and reinvested dividend equivalents thereon.
(2)	Grant of restricted share units under the 2012 - 2014 Long Term Incentive Plan.
(3)	Shares held in trust under the Northeast Utilities Service Company 401k Plan, a qualified plan, according to information supplied by the plan's recordkeeper.
(4)	Matching contribution of reporting person's deferred compensation under the Northeast Utilities Deferred Compensation Plan for Executives, a non-qualified deferred compensation plan, that are nominally invested as Common Shares. Each phantom share represents the right to receive the cash value of one NU Common share upon a distribution event, following vesting. Additional phantom shares are issued upon the automatic reinvestment of dividend-equivalents exempt from line item reporting under SEC Rule 16a-11

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