PRESS RELEASE
                              Source:  First Trust Energy Income and Growth Fund



FIRST TRUST ENERGY INCOME AND GROWTH FUND COMMENCES PUBLIC OFFERING OF COMMON
SHARES

      Wheaton, IL -- April 29, 2013 -- First Trust Energy Income and Growth Fund
(the "Fund") (NYSE MKT: FEN) announced that it has commenced a public offering
of 2,500,000 common shares of beneficial interest. The Fund also intends to
grant the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to 375,000 additional
common shares to cover over-allotments, if any. Net proceeds from the offering
will be used to make additional portfolio investments that are consistent with
the Fund's investment objective and for general corporate purposes.

      Morgan Stanley, Citigroup and RBC Capital Markets are acting as joint
book-running managers for the offering. Oppenheimer & Co., Baird, BB&T Capital
Markets and Janney Montgomery Scott are acting as co-lead managers for the
offering. The offering is made pursuant to an existing shelf registration
statement on Form N-2 previously filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission. The offering of these securities will be made only by means of a
prospectus. Interested persons, including existing shareholders of the Fund, may
obtain a copy of the preliminary prospectus supplement and accompanying base
prospectus relating to the offering from the following addresses:

                 Morgan Stanley
                 Attn: Prospectus Department
                 180 Varick Street, 2nd Floor
                 New York, NY  10014
                 Telephone: 866-718-1649

                 Citigroup
                 c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions
                 1155 Long Island Avenue
                 Edgewood, New York 11717
                 Phone: (800) 831-9146
                 batprospectusdept@citi.com

                 RBC Capital Markets
                 Attn:  Equity Syndicate Department
                 Three World Financial Center
                 200 Vesey Street, 8th Floor
                 New York, New York  10281
                 Telephone: 212-428-6670
                 Fax: 212-428-6260

      Investors may also obtain these documents free of charge from the
Securities and Exchange Commission's website at www.sec.gov.

      An investor should read the Fund's preliminary prospectus supplement and
accompanying base prospectus carefully before investing. The preliminary
prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus contain important
information about the Fund and its investment objective and policies, risks,
charges and expenses.





      This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation
to buy the securities described herein, nor shall there be any sale of these
securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation or
sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the laws of
such state or jurisdiction. A registration statement relating to these
securities was filed with, and has been declared effective by, the Securities
and Exchange Commission.

      The Fund is a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company
which commenced investment operations in June 2004. The Fund's investment
objective is to seek a high level of after-tax total return with an emphasis on
current distributions paid to shareholders. The Fund seeks to provide its common
shareholders with an efficient vehicle to invest in a portfolio of
cash-generating securities of publicly traded master limited partnerships
("MLPs") and related public entities in the energy sector.

      First Trust Advisors L.P., the Fund's investment advisor, along with its
affiliate First Trust Portfolios L.P., are privately-held companies which
provide a variety of investment services, including asset management and
financial advisory services, with collective assets under management or
supervision of approximately $72.2 billion as of March 31, 2013, through
closed-end funds, unit investment trusts, mutual funds, separate managed
accounts and exchange-traded funds.

      Energy Income Partners, LLC ("EIP") serves as the Fund's investment
sub-advisor and provides advisory services to a number of investment companies
and partnerships for the purpose of investing in MLPs and other energy
infrastructure securities. EIP is one of the early investment advisors
specializing in this area. As of March 31, 2013, EIP managed or supervised
approximately $3.7 billion in client assets.

CONTACT:

Press Inquiries:                  Jane Doyle               630-765-8775
Analyst Inquiries:                Jeff Margolin             630-915-6784
Broker Inquiries:                 Jeff Margolin             630-915-6784


Source: First Trust Energy Income and Growth Fund