If people that live in populated areas get out of work and the sun is still shining and it’s nice weather, they’re much more likely to stop on the way home from work and eat out, shop, stop for a beer. It’s nice out and people enjoy being both off work and out of the house.
Also, people usually have the lights, TV, computer off when they’re not home. If they get home after being out after work, it’s maybe 9 or 10 until all that stuff gets turned on. And they still don’t stay up much later.
If they have A/C, most of the time they are aware of the cost of the electricity it uses, and they a) turn their window unit on when they get home, or b) set the control on their built-in A/C system if they have one so that during the day when no one is home it keeps the house at maybe 72, just so it’s not roasting, then goes to 68 or so around the time they get home.
If when they get home the sun is 1 hour lower in the sky, this will save on A/C for one daytime “hard working A/C” hour.
Personally, it’s not fun getting out of work 5 or 6 - and seeing it dark out; it makes me definitely not want to stop on the way home, so all the “stuff” gets switched on earlier.
As far as leaving in the morning, those hours being dark don’t really don’t impact many people any more one way or t’other.
IMHO...