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) EVP and Chief Admin Off (Last) (First) (Middle) C/O NORTHEAST UTILITIES, 56 PROSPECT STREET 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 04/10/2012 (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 04/10/2012   A   55,118 (1) A $ 0 192,527 (2) D   Common Shares, $5.00 par value               6,389 (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)

(4)

(4)

Common Shares, $5.00 par value

553 (4)

553 (4)

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			EVP and Chief Admin Off

Signatures

/s/David R. McHale		04/12/2012
**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)	This acquisition includes awards of shares of Northeast Utilities ("Issuer") common stock and/or restricted stock units made by the Issuer upon the consummation of the Issuer's merger with NSTAR, including pursuant to or in substitution for previously awarded performance-based awards, as further described in Item 11 of the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed by the Issuer on February 24, 2012 under the caption "Executive Compensation-- Long-Term Incentive Programs". Such restricted stock units may be settled only in shares of Issuer common stock and are generally subject to continuing-service vesting conditions.
(2)	Includes restricted share units and dividend equivalents thereon.
(3)	Shares held in trust under the Northeast Utilities Service Company 401k Plan, a qualified plan, according to information supplied by the plan's record keeper.
(4)	Matching contributions on 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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