Not that you will want to do it this way, but I often want to use dip to black and I sometimes run into the same problem. I usually find it easier to drop a two second black video clip with the opacity parameter keyframed from zero to 100% and back to zero. I press the "down" key to get to the next cut, type -15 to get to where I want the clip to start and paste in the clip. I then move on to the next cut and repeat as often as necessary. I get into a rhythm.
Also, it isn't a straight zero to 100%. It is a curve that eases into the black and eases out.
Since I keep a sequence handy in a project that has all of my favorite resources, like black video as described above, the white version of the same thing, my logo, my opening audio, stuff like that. I import that project into every project I create. So all I have to do is find the black video, copy it, and paste away to my hearts content.