FORM 3

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 INITIAL STATEMENT OF 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. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year) 01/01/2005 3. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol NORTHEAST UTILITIES [NU] (Last) (First) (Middle) NORTHEAST UTILITIES, 107 SELDEN STREET 4. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) _____ Director _____ 10% Owner __X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) Sr. Vice Pres. & CFO 5. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year) (Street) BERLIN, CT 06037 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 Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 4) 2. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned (Instr. 4) 3. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5) 4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5) Common Shares, $5 par value 3,347 (1) I By 401k Plan trustee Common Shares, $5 par value 8,135 (2) D Â

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.			SEC 1473 (7-02)
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Table II - Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 4)	2. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		3. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 4)		4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	5. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5)	6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)
	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares
Options to Purchase	  (3)	  (3)	Common Shares, $5 par value	18,501	$ (3)	D	Â

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
McHale David R NORTHEAST UTILITIES 107 SELDEN STREET BERLIN, CT 06037	Â	Â	  Sr. Vice Pres. & CFO	Â

Signatures

/s/ David R. McHale		01/11/2005
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 5(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)	Beneficially owned as of December 31, 2004, according to information supplied by the plan's recordkeeper.
(2)	Includes restricted shares.
(3)	Includes 4,305 options granted on 5/12/98 with an exercise price of $16.3125; such grant became exercisable 1/3 on the date of the grant and 1/3 on each of the first and second anniversaries of the grant date and expiring on the tenth anniversary of the grant date. Also includes 7,116 options granted on 2/23/99 with an exercise price of $14.9375; 9,000 options granted on 2/22/00 with an exercise price of $18.4375; 7,500 options granted on 2/27/01 at an excercise price of $21.03; and 8,000 options granted on 2/25/02 at an exercise price of $18.58; each of such grants becomes exercisable 1/3 on each of the first three anniversaries of the grant date and expiring on the tenth anniversary date of the grant date.

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